01.25.07
Posted in Janet's Posts at 7:59 pm by Janet
Hey Everybody,
It’s Wednesday, I’m heading home after being in Florida for 3 days. It always amazes me that I can hop on a plane that has just been de-iced, land in Florida, and start wearing my flip flops. God bless America.
I had a solo concert on Sunday night and concerts Monday and Tuesday with Ivan Parker. (Yeah, he’s the one that makes the girls say “Ooooh†and the men say “Whatever.â€) We had such fun and the Lord showed up, too. It’s great when it works that way.
Monday morning I had breakfast with Bill and Gloria at a quaint little place they’d found near the beach. You know how much I love breakfast with Gloria – and when you add Bill and my good friend, Deana, well, I could have sat on that patio for hours. I have spent hours, days, weeks, months, years, tours, tapings, and vacations with them and I still walk away amazed at their humility. Regardless of their phenomenal and enduring success, they quietly but firmly sabotage any attempt to put them on a pedestal. They just won’t go there. They challenge me on a number of levels every time I sit across the table from them and, besides that, they find the best breakfast places!
Several of you have asked about the New York trip. My sister and our cousins were there for three days and we had a marvelous time. For about 16 hours a day, we shopped and walked and ate. We used the hotel only for sleeping and quick showers. The highlight of the trip (for me, at least) was the Broadway production, The Color Purple, and I’ve told every singer I know that they need to see it. The vocals were amazing, the songs phenomenal. We laughed. We cried. We gasped. I could have watched it all over again; one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen.
We’re beginning work on the new Hymns project this week. I think the toughest part will be shrinking our list to 12….
Have a great week….. Go Colts….Go Bears… Carolina Panthers, call out for pizza since you’ll only be WATCHING it!
I’ll BLOG again next week.
Love,
Janet
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01.20.07
Posted in Janet's Posts at 7:41 pm by Janet
Hey Everybody,
It’s Saturday – John’s out of town, Max is sleeping, and I’m getting ready to leave town. Before I go, I wanted to touch base with you. I’ve been thinking all day of buildings…
On one of the morning’s early news programs they showed the implosion of a large building in New Haven, Connecticut. While watching the Veterans Memorial Coliseum disappear in a cloud of dust, I realized that I’d sung there – several times. When I was singing for the Jimmy Swaggart crusades, we went to New Haven about every two years. They showed some shots of it that I recognized – it caught me a bit off guard.
At Christmastime, John and I joined some friends for a Christmas program at Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium and, again, I couldn’t help but recall my first time to step into the building. My sister, my cousin and I had a girls trio and our own band – piano, bass, drums and lead guitar. My parents had purchased and renovated an old, old, old, old, old bus and we had our name painted on the sides. We went where ever we were invited. When we traveled out of state, we spent weeks before and after telling all our friends (and anyone else who would listen) that we were going to or coming from Virginia or Georgia or – gulp – Maryland (once)! So… back to the Auditorium… We entered a gospel music contest one Saturday at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. That night we were all treated to a concert by the Happy Goodman Family. We couldn’t believe it when their bus pulled up to the curb. Rusty got out to help the driver park and he had on sunglasses – just like a real star. We were wide-eyed. That night the crowd cheered every song, every word, every inflection of theirs. They received multiple standing ovations in the first set. At one point, they finished an uptempo song and our drummer stood to start the inevitable standing ovation – only, this time, no one else stood. He was so embarrassed and, of course, we NEVER let him forget it. Anyway, the Auditorium has been refurbished and redone several times since then. It barely resembles the building that housed our young nerves and enthusiasm.
This past Tuesday I went to yet another familiar builidng – Duke University Medical Center, and specifically the Comprehensive Cancer Center. While preparing for my three month check-up, I was taken through the rooms and hallways that are as familiar as my own home, and I called the nurses and assistants by name. At one point it hit me – the wide gulf between my life now and my life then – and seeing the patients in their wigs and caps with chalky complexion and dull eyes made me whisper another prayer of gratitude that it is behind me. It also made me whisper a prayer for strength and stamina and courage for those who are, even now, plowing through the process of getting well.
So, these old buildings are landmarks, road signs, and markers that help us remember where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. Those are things I never want to forget.
We love you!
Janet
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01.09.07
Posted in Janet's Posts at 2:01 pm by Janet
Hey Everybody,
It’s Tuesday, and I’m gearing up to leave town. My sister and our two cousins (we all grew up together) are going to New York City tomorrow for a belated celebration of our birthdays. We were all born in October and we were born in four consecutive years. We figured it was time to have a big celebration doing what we really love – shopping, eating, and talking. (Not necessarily in that order.)
If you’re like me you’re still wondering where 2006 went… or 2005, for that matter. It seems like only a few months ago that everyone was buying generators to usher in 2000. That was over 7 years ago and I still can’t believe it. It’s just like my parents said – the older you get, the more quickly time passes. Guess they know things….
I hope your January is filled with snow (if you like it), cold (if you love it) and warm, cozy chats with the people you love. I think that might even cure illness!
We love you – I’ll have some stories for you!
Love,
Janet
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